SAN DIEGO — As a high school student, Vidiana Cervantes knew that college would be the next step for her; the only uncertainty was in how to make it happen. Both of her parents emigrated from Mexico and were not familiar with the school system in the U.S., let alone college application requirements like the SAT and FAFSA.

Cervantes found support through the University of California’s Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP), which has a branch at each of the 10 UC campuses — including the University of California, San Diego — to provide academic and college prep resources and information for low-income, underrepresented students. Today, Cervantes is in her third year at UC San Diego and is paying forward the help she received by working with EAOP to mentor students at Gompers Preparatory Academy, helping students like herself navigate the college application process.

“When I was in high school. my parents wanted me to go to college but they didn’t know how to get me there,” said Cervantes. “It was very difficult to explain why I needed to take a four-hour-long exam on a Saturday morning or why I needed a copy of their income taxes to complete the FAFSA for financial aid. Today, I enjoy working with the students and parents at Gompers because I can relate to them, and their issues and dreams of attending college.”

UC San Diego’s EAOP serves and partners with 33 schools in San Diego and Imperial counties, reaching out to more than 3,000 students. Using a student-to-student model, the program relies on undergraduate students like Cervantes to work as tutors and mentors in local schools, providing academic support and guidance through college requirements, SAT and ACT testing, getting involved with extracurricular activities and community service, and applying for financial aid and scholarships. In addition to preparing students for college, EAOP educates parents and staff about college requirements so that they too can be resources for pursuing higher education. High school students participating in EAOP go on to top-ranked universities, including Harvard University, Spellman College, UCLA and UC San Diego.

“These programs are part of our commitment to encourage college-going preparation for a diverse group of prospective students from our local communities,” said Penny Rue, vice chancellor of Student Affairs.

Cervantes continued, “By also preparing parents and community members, we are helping to build a college environment in the homes, schools and communities of our students, which helps to reassure our students that it is possible for them to achieve a college education.”

This spring, the Early Academic Outreach Program will host several events to inspire students of all socio-economic backgrounds to pursue higher education, including the following:

• College Expo Day, March 19 — Programs presented both in Spanish and English will showcase college opportunities and provide information about college applications, financial aid, scholarships and cyber safety. Taking place on the campus of San Diego State University, attendees can also take a campus tour, meet with current college students and learn about majors. More information is available at
  www.collegeexpo.info.

• Spring Tours, March 21-23 — Middle and high school students will experience what a real college class is like as UC San Diego faculty members present mini lectures on campus. EAOP provides buses to bring students to the campus for the lectures, as well as to tour the campus and learn about college requirements. 

• César E. Chávez Essay Contest — Local San Diego high school students submitted essays on topics such as creation of civil discourse, encouraging tolerance and elimination of poverty. Prizes will be presented at the 13th annual César E. Chávez Commemorative Breakfast, to be held at the San Diego Convention Center on March 28.

• Comienza con un Sueño, April 30 — Directed toward the Spanish-speaking population, this event will bring high school students and their families from East County to the UC San Diego campus for a series of inspirational speakers (including Chancellor Marye Anne Fox), workshops covering college requirements and preparations, and an “alternative campus tour,” which shows the campus through a cultural lens. Comienza con un Sueño is a collaboration between EAOP and numerous other campus organizations and departments. Visit www.comienza.ucsd.edu to learn more.

• UC Prep, July 9 (tentative) — EAOP will offer informative presentations on college applications, scholarships, student life and other topics of interest to college-bound 11th-grade students from San Diego and Imperial County schools and their families.

UC San Diego’s Early Academic Outreach Program works closely with several other campus programs, including:

• TRIO Outreach Programs;
• Student Promoted Access Center for Education and Service (SPACES);
• Center for Research on Educational Equity, Access and Teaching Excellence (CREATE);
• Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP).

Together, these organizations are working to ensure that deserving students from all social and economic backgrounds have the opportunity to achieve a college education. To learn more about UC San Diego’s outreach efforts, visit www.outreach.ucsd.edu.